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July 30 – August 26, 2021 Volume 24, Issue 50
Petition for Recall of Councilmember Bonin Approved for Circulation
Signature gathering phase now set to begin after approval by City Clerk B y S am C atanzaro
The Los Angeles City Clerk has approved a petition for recall of Councilmember Mike Bonin. Bonin, who represents Los Angeles City Council District 11 encompassing much of the Westside, was served the recall notice on June 15. On July 13, the City Clerk approved the petition for circulation. “Councilmember Mike Bonin has consistently made promises to his constituency and failed to follow through on these promises since he took office,” reads the recall’s Statement of Reasons. “In summary Councilmember Mike Bonin does not engage with the district and did not improve our quality of life or clean up our neighborhoods. Our streets have become de facto campgrounds, sanitation policies are failing, crime is rising, and Mike Bonin
remains unresponsive.” Bonin was not immediately available for comment Tuesday on the approval for circulation of the petition for recall. In a statement released after being served the recall in June, Bonin called the petition a waste of tax dollars. In addition, the councilmember claimed that the campaign is backed by right-wing forces. “A recall election, held right before regularly scheduled city elections, would be a waste of millions of dollars of taxpayer money — dollars that could be better invested in addressing our homelessness crisis,” Bonin, who has announced a run for a third and final term in 2022, wrote in said. “This recall has been championed by the same right wing forces that are trying to erode our democratic process and take down progressive officials across the state.” In addition to the recall election for California Governor Gavin Newsom, last month recall papers were served to Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who represents neighborhoods including Silver Lake and Hollywood. Last Friday the City Clerk approved for circulation the petition against Raman. A recall effort is also underway against LA
Photo: Los Angeles City Councilmember Mike Bonin (Facebook)
County District Attorney George Gascón. Under City of Los Angeles recall rules, once the recall paperwork is approved, campaigns have 120 days to collect signatures from 15 percent of registered voters in the district, which in District 11
is at least 27,387 signatures. If sufficient signatures are obtained and verified, a presentation to recall will be made to the City Council at some point in December. Council would then have 14 days to call for
Bonin Recall, see page 2
LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva Asks Board of Supervisors to Declare State of Emergency on Homelessness Crisis Sheriff sends letter to Board of Supervisors By Sam Catanzaro
“Fires from homeless encampments are threatening our local residents who live within mountainous areas,” wrote Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva in a letter asking the Board of Supervisors to declare a state of emergency on the region’s homelessness crisis. On June 23, Villanueva sent the letter– titled “Local State of Emergency Regarding the Homelessness Crisis”– to the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors. “Since taking office, I have watched the
state, county, and local government fail to address the homelessness crisis affecting the residents of Los Angeles County (County). Despite spending in excess of $6.5 billion over the last ten years to address the issue, and the creation and efforts of the Los Angeles Services Authority (LAHSA), nothing has changed,” began the letter. “Residents and business owners should not be subjected to walking around piles of trash and human feces in their neighborhoods, businesses, parks, and communities.” Villanueva argued that the state of homelessness in the county is not only causing residents to leave, but also impacting tourism. “Venice Beach, Olvera Street, and
Hollywood are currently under siege. The homeless situation and lawlessness citizens are experiencing is keeping tourists from coming to Los Angeles County. Venice was once the number two tourist destination in Southern California, second only to Disneyland. The economic hardships our local business owners and residents are facing is unacceptable,” Villanueva, who has stated a goal to clear the Venice Boardwalk by July 4, wrote in the letter. In addition, the Sheriff stated that homelessness endangers residents living in Los Angeles County’s mountainous communities. “Fires from homeless encampments are threatening our local residents who live
within mountainous areas. On a daily basis, fires are started by the transient population taking refuge in the wilderness. With the current doubt California is experiencing, resources are desperately needed to prevent a catastrophic event in these communities,” Villanueva wrote. In asking the Board of Supervisors to declare a state of local emergency, Villanueva advised tapping into all available state and federal funding to address the crisis, including assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In addition, he requested emergency funding to the LASD Homeless Outreach Service
Emergency, see page 11
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